A Total Team Approach to Success  

We have had a very positive experience with a total team approach to accomplishing our business objectives. In our case, at the IBM Software Solutions Programming Laboratory (in Cary, NC, until March 1995, and now in Research Triangle Park), the business objectives are to produce successful software products. But the total team approach is not limited to a particular product or service. Total teams can help you improve the way multiple groups in your organization work together—to increase customer satisfaction through improved quality and speed of delivery, increase productivity, decreasc costs, and even improve morale.

Allen, Pam, Morris Dean, Sharon L. Hayes and Gina Poole. STC Proceedings (1995). Careers>Management>Collaboration

Transforming Your Career: Contributing Strategically to Your Company or Client  

If the technology 'bubble' and the subsequent economic slowdown have demonstrated nothing else, we are more aware than ever of the need to change with the times, redefine ourselves, and ensure that we're demonstrating maximum value to our company and clients. In the context of the current economy, the more value you can demonstrate, the more likely you will be employed. This paper briefly describes a model for contribution within a technical communication career and provides specific and practical advice for moving toward the most valued, strategic contributions.

Ames, Andrea L. and Susan M. Jensen. STC Proceedings (2004). Careers>Collaboration>Management

Vitalize Your People  

Organizations can do many things to vitalize their people. The Information Development organization at the IBM Corporation in Cary, NC, uses a closed-loop process in which we evaluate employee satisfaction, identify problems, and attempt to correct the problems (then reevaluate and so on). Your organization too can use this process to improve your employees' participation, involvement in your quality program, and morale.

Dean, Morris, Marva L. Richey, and Karl D. von Gunten. STC Proceedings (1993). Careers>Management>Collaboration

Wearer of Many Hats: One Management Style Does Not Fit All

Trying to convince multiple individuals to head in the same direction requires figuring out the mindsets of those multiple people and what it takes to motivate them to follow your lead. The article discusses four "hats" managers may have to wear and which management “hat” works best for each situation.

Young, Jeffrey R. Writing Assistance (2007). Careers>Management>Collaboration

Managing Conflict

Conflict resolution is among the many tasks delegated to managers, yet it is often the most difficult to master. From individual performance appraisals to an all-out assault within a project team, managers are expected to not only have the wisdom of Solomon, but also the patience of a saint. Yet often, this skill is not cultivated, leaving many managers unable to adapt to instances that can bring even the best performing machine to a screeching halt. To help avoid this from happening, there are various tools and tactics that an organization can adopt to not only diffuse immediate threats to productivity, but also alleviate potential issues in the long run.

Harris, Kerri. TechCom Manager (2005). Careers>Management>Collaboration

Ten Ways to Kickstart the Performance of Your Underachievers

Poor performers can drag down your whole team. Business and leadership coach John McKee shares some strategies for determining the underlying issues and turning those underachievers around.

McKee, John. TechRepublic (2008). Careers>Management>Collaboration

Putting it All Together

If I were bringing in new people to an already existing group, I would begin by studying everything I could find about the strength, weaknesses, personalities, and interests of all the people who would be working together. One thing I know from putting together teams of students is that managers (whether in the classroom or in business) need to base teaming on the strengths of the participants and not on the weaknesses.

Grabill, Pat. TechCom Manager (2009). Careers>Management>Collaboration

The New Workforce: Generation Next (Generation Y) in your Organization

Members of Generation X are now at the midpoint of their careers and are increasingly being placed in management and supervisory positions. Xers are realizing that today's newly hired employees are no longer members of their generation but of a different and younger generation. This new generation of employees entering the workforce has been given such labels as Generation Next, Generation Y, Echo Boomers, and Digital Natives. Members of Generation X who not long ago were shaking their heads at the attitudes and viewpoints of the older employees are now finding their own perspectives being questioned by a new and younger generation, Generation Next. Nexters and Xers, like previous generations before them, are finding at times difficulty to work side by side because their experiences, goals, and expectations differ.

Ruby, Bryan E. CMS Report (2007). Careers>Management>Collaboration

How To Get Fired

Much of today's news is bad, so much of it can adversely affect your career, and so much of it is maddeningly beyond your control. But there are things you can control, starting with your own behavior. Now more than ever, it's essential to ensure that idiosyncrasies and personal peccadillos don't undermine your career. Here are five cautionary tales of real CIOs whose tragic flaws did them in.

Pratt, Mary K. Computerworld (2009). Careers>Management>Workplace>Collaboration

International Team Management

The last half century has seen enormous change impacting the way we work. The world is shrinking with advances in information technology playing a crucial role in facilitating the global expansion of organizations. International teams are now a common phenomenon with many large organizations structuring their workforce according to function rather than geography. Successful organizations do not hesitate to move their talents around the world to ensure that they have the right skills and knowledge in the right location when necessary. But what does it take to manage such a culturally diversified and geographically dispersed team?

Wellings, Cathy. TC World (2009). Careers>Management>Collaboration>International